Injuries always a concern with WBC set to begin
A WBC TRADITION — MLB TEAMS WORRY ABOUT PLAYERS GETTING HURT
Honking horns, pulsing percussion and chanting crowds will transform Marlins Park into a Caribbeanstyle carnival this week for the World Baseball Classic.
To major league teams, it sounds dangerous.
WBC games are sure to inspire maximum effort by players eager to win for their country, which is exactly what worries their big league bosses. While spectators in the stands literally beat the drum on behalf of the international tournament, Major League Baseball managers and executives are less than thrilled about their players’ participation.
“You’re risking injury,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said.
“I think most coaches and managers rather not have guys go,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said, “but it has been good for baseball.”
The WBC, which began Monday in South Korea, draws big, noisy crowds, and players rave about the atmosphere. But less than a month into spring training, the tournament has them going all-out with the MLB season still weeks away.
Thus the fear of injury, a concern that has become as much a part of the quadrennial tournament as flag-waving.
“Going full speed, full boar, full game competition, third-deck fans screaming — baseball generally isn’t played that way this time of year for us,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said.
Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez needed thumb surgery after getting hurt in the 2013 final, and it’s difficult to gauge the toll participation takes later in the season. Edinson Volquez, Jake Peavy, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Scot Shields were among almost two dozen WBC pitchers hampered by injuries in the months after the 2009 tournament.
Volquez, now with the Marlins, is on the Dominican roster again this year. He acknowledged the WBC changes his preparation for the season.
“It’s not like if you’re pitching in spring training,” he said. “You are competing with another country. You put a lot of effort into that experience.”
Some players, including Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman and Yankees reliever Dellin Betances, said they began working out earlier than usual this winter because they knew their spring training preparation would be brief.
“You don’t have that many games until the WBC,” Betances said, “but I feel like the adrenaline will kick in there and I’ll be ready.”
Of particular concern are players coming off a short offseason, such as reliever Andrew Miller of the American League champion Cleveland Indians. But players seem to value the opportunity more than they fear any injury risk.
The U.S. roster included 18 All-Stars, two MVPs and nine Gold Glove winners, and other teams also attracted plenty of major leaguers.
“It’s an honour for me to be chosen. It’s a rare opportunity for a ballplayer to represent his country,” said Indians catcher Roberto Perez, who will play for Puerto Rico. “Injuries are always going to be there. It’s something you can’t control. It’s a risk, but to have the chance to represent your country is unique.”
WBC rules limiting pitch counts and appearances are designed to protect pitchers. Managers around the majors say they’re confident the U.S. staff will be carefully monitored by manager Jim Leyland and general manager Joe Torre.
Leyland said he feels that responsibility. But when the goal is to win, there’s only so much he can do to keep his pitchers healthy.
“The biggest thing, for me, is that you’re asking them to amp it up a little earlier than they normally would,” Leyland said. “And that can be dangerous.”